Bob Meyers - Flowmeter???

Bob Meyer,

I saw your answer to the question “flowing pumps” Now my question to your answer “---- and if you do not have a flowmeter on your data recorder, you'll be going back often.” Why? I have been going through the pits asking the question about flowmeters and getting “you need a flow meter to tune the car”, “No flowmeter, can’t tune the car”. O.K. but why?? What are you looking for in the data? I have fuel pressure. When I change pills around I can see a pressure change (sometimes). What’s so magical about the flowmeter?

Thanks for your time.

P.S. I sent my fuel system to Holbrook Performance (Jimmy Ractor).

 

Because your car becomes a flowbench on wheels every run. It's all reference. Why did the fuel pressure drop here?, Why did it shake the snot out of it there?,Why did it tip over before the shift? Why is the end of the plug gone, but it still leaks OK?
Or, you can do what I did for 25 years, just lick your finger and stick it in the wind to see if you can come up with the answers! After I was broke and couldn't afford to race anymore, these things came along and told me how stupid I was!!
The truth did not hurt me, It made me realize I'm just a welder..........

 

Bob, like you I tuned a top fuel car for years without one but the best advise I could give anyone puting a race car together is don't even think about cranking the motor without the best computer you can afford. I spend many hours at the computer after each race looking at the data and making changes. I remember when it took 2-3 races when you had a mag going weak or fuel pump or blower. Now its one run down the track and you know the condition of these things. Not to mention when the clutch goes 1:1, if the tires were slipping, when the timers hit, and the timing changes. Even with all this information you still have to make the right calls. Thats why the good crew chiefs make the big bucks!